A Reason to Betray
by Jillie chan
Summary: Strong loyalty is based on something extremely soild. And the Dark Ace never does anything without a reason.


If he were ever hypothetically answered the question "why" he was going to have to answer "when" first.

When he first realized that he didn't matter to _them_.

When he realized that there was something more important out there then _them_.

When he realized that_ their_ deaths would protect the more important future.

--

It started in a small dark bar with a little harmless flirting.

She had been sitting at the bar, drinking some kind of exotic local beer.

He was on Liberty, looking for a drink and someone new to talk to.

"What's a knock-out like you doing in a piss-pot gin-joint like this?" He asked.

She smiled.

--

It wasn't supposed to go beyond the cheesy pick-up line that broke the ice.

He didn't mean for it to lead to a hotel room.

He didn't plan to fall in love.

But then, she wasn't supposed to be a Cyclonian.

--

He enjoyed sneaking out from under their noses.

Usually for an hour or two at a time.

Usually at night so no one would notice.

It wasn't untill one night, lying next to her that he started to wonder.

How could _they_ not notice?

--

He started ditching during battles.

She had trustworthy friends in the field that would "be chased" during battle.

They'd keep watch and let him know when the battle had ended.

The closest he got from _them,_ in terms of noticing, was an off-handed remark the captain made.

"You're losing your touch."

--

He held himself up in his room for several days when he found out.

He had thought that she was the daughter of some high-ranking Cyclonian official.

He didn't even entertain the thought that she could be the Master Cyclonis's wife.

But that wasn't why he hid in his room.

It was because he didn't know how to react when he learned that she was carrying his child.

--

He found himself leaving for days on end.

Returning to try to curb suspicion as to why.

If there _were_ any suspensions.

His own father was never there for him.

He would not do the same thing to his child.

--

"Damn it! You couldn't have come back _tomorrow_?"

He was taken back by the pilot's statement.

He was taken back that _they_ noticed him disappearing.

He was taken back that _they _started a pool.

Betting on a when that could very well not come.

--

For four years he would ditch _them_ for her.

For three years he would disappear for days on end without a word to _them_.

For two years he wouldn't care what_ they_ did; barely storing his skimmer there long enough to refuel.

For one year he was working secretly to protect Cyclonia from _them_.

In two days, he would make his move and end the threat from _them_ once and for all.

--

He sabotaged the skimmers, including his own.

He had his break down before they could even leave the carrier.

The captain told him that they could share.

He nodded.

If he was going to stab them in the back, he might as well face them while he did it.

--

The captain's eyes widen as he watched the rest of the team plummeted into the wastes.

He had grabbed his sword, holding it to the captain's neck.

The captain looked at him in the eye, a confused hurt.

He didn't cut the man's throat like he had planned.

Instead, he shoved the weapon into the skimmer's controls as the _Condor_'s engines exploded behind them.

--

"Why?!"

He looked at the defeated man, who was reduced to a sobbing fool.

"Because, like you tried to protect your precious son..."

He stabbed his one-time friend in the stomach.

"...I'm protecting my daughter."

--

For about five years he protected his daughter and mother as a personal bodyguard.

Then the Master Cyclonis and his wife were assassinated.

He had protected his daughter from the same fate by taking her hit.

He remained her chosen champion when she inherited the thrown.

Besides, who was the better choice to be her protector than her own father?

--

Because he's old enough to be her own father!

Yeah, I was thinking about why he was so loyal to Cyclonis when I pairing preference on Soldier4Christ's profile the wheels in my head started turning. So...This was born.

Disclaimer: NOT mine. Though it could _almost_ belong to Joss Whedon...

See you soon.


End file.
